Ninjago X
by Nightmarestar Of ThunderClan
Summary: Basically, this is an exploratory timeline and a rewrite of an old fanfic of mine that I'd like to revisit. The premise? What if someone took Lloyds place as the Green Ninja who wasn't even from Ninjago to begin with? Alternatively: How Ren went from the part-Yokai therapist under the bed of the Bounty's Guest Room to one of the greatest Heroes Ninjago has ever seen. Plasmashipping
1. Prolouge

I dashed through the frozen forest, wanting to clear my mind. It had been a very tiring day for me and everyone else. Sensei Wu hadn't been gone for more than a day, and already things were getting crazy. Zane's discovery of his true potential was awesome, and his discovery of him truly being a robot of somekind was a bit disorienting, but we were all rolling with it. But it had really been something hard to swallow.

I wasn't sure how I felt about all this myself. If we all had such powers inside us that we could unlock, then when would it be my turn? Would it ever be my turn? The thought about cool fire powers excited me, but what if I never got them?

I shook my head, and jumped up on a high branch, pulling back my mask. I took a deep breath as I felt the cool winds blow over my skin, chasing away all my doubtful thoughts. I was glad we were stopped out here for the night. The cold air truly was soothing.

I looked down over the white world below me, awed by its beauty. It never snowed where I grew up, and seeing so much myself was still so new. I found it wonderfully cold and fresh. All the white sparkled in all kinds of light, and it was so beautiful that I just wanted to watch the snow fall. It was calming to me.

As I continued to watch the snow fall I noticed a dark smudge in the snow, in a clearing not too far away from me. I tilted my head, and jumped down and ran over to get a closer look.

What I discovered was enough to make my blood run cold.

There in the snow was a young boy, not much older than the recently kidnapped Lloyd, covered in deep slashes and surrounded by blood. He looked like he had been attacked quite violently, and then left here to die of his wounds.

I shook a little bit, as I leaned down to inspect him. At a closer look, I noticed a pair of white dog-like ears that blended in rather well with the snow sticking out of his head, and a tail of the same color was lying in the snow, seamlessly attached to him. I reached out and gently tugged on one of the ears, and was astonished to find that they were truly real.

As strange as his appearance was, I still didn't know why someone would so something like this to someone so young(I was fifteen myself, but I was a different story).

I flinched when I saw his tail twitch a bit in the snow. Startled, I gently reached down and felt for a pulse, and was shocked to find one.

Somehow, the strange boy was still alive, despite the extreme blood loss and possible hypothermia. I looked back in the direction of the bounty, and back to him.

'If he's still alive after everything he's been through, there might still be a chance for him to pull through' I thought. Mind made up, I scooped him up in my arms, and he'd him close, as I ran as fast as I could toward the Bounty, willing him to keep living. He was somehow still bleeding, and his blood was getting all over the front of my Gi, but I pushed those matters back, putting this boys survival as my main priority.

It didn't take long for me to reach the ship. As I burst through the side door, I heard a commotion in the living room.

'Thank God, everyones still awake' I thought, as I burst into the room. The other guys were in a heated video game battle, and had somehow completely missed my entrance. I would have probably yelled at them for not noticing a loud noise and going to investigate it if this were any other situation, but the life of the boy in my arms took priority.

"Where's Nya? It's an emergency!" I shouted over the argument taking place. Everything suddenly stopped as Jay, Cole, and Zane turned to face me, and each of their faces twisted in horror and shock.

"What the hell-"Jay started, before Cole shakily cut him off.

"S-she's in the bridge" he muttered, shutddering at the sight of the poor boy. I ran in the direction of the bridge without hesitation, begging the boy to hold on under my breath...

...

I sighed as I took another sip of coffee, massaging my temple. It had been a few days since I took the boy in, and he was recovering quite well. Though he hadn't woken up yet, his breathing and temperature had returned to a normal state, and his wounds had stopped bleeding. I was relived he was doing so well, and thankful to have my pseudo brothers helping me take care of him.

Looking at him now, it was enough to put a smile on my face. He was breathing well, and seemed to be twitching, as I assumed he was pulling into a lighter sleep. I couldn't imagine what his dreams could be about, but they seemed to be calm, as he showed no signs of stress.

I stood up, and gently put my hand on his forehead, and flinched a bit when he twitched in response to my touch. His eyes twitched a second, before slowly opening to reveal a pair of light purple eyes.

The boy trained those eyes on me for a few moments, and I couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by the intensity they held, despite their owner having just woken up from a semi-comatose state.

"Hello there" I said quietly, as he continued to stare at me. His ears flattened, and turned away from me, before he shakily tried to push himself up. As be did, he flinched in pain, and fell back onto his back. He then winced from all the injuries he had there, though most of them had already closed up and looked older and spread apart in said age. I was instantly by his side, making sure he wasn't too injured.

All he did was stare at me with those intense eyes, his expression unchanging as I checked him over. It truly was unnerving, but I knew he probably didn't trust me as he had just met me. I knew the feeling.

Then he suddenly jumped up, hissed in my face, and darted under the bed.

And I had to admit, it was rather... Unexpected, to say the least


	2. Chapter 1

I sighed as I dug my claws into the floorboards, unrolling the scroll I'd swiped from the room full of tea leaves early this morning. I was lucky these guys had a language very similar to Japanese, even if it did have some strange words I didn't understand. I had been under the bed for three days, only bothering to leave to explore the flying ship I was in when nobody was around, usually in the very early morning. I'd messed with the training equipment during my alone time, finding it was very useful for keeping myself limber when my injuries healed.

I only scampered under the bed when I heard someone had gotten up. Luckily, I'd found that strange room, so I had reading material today, which I would return upon completion.

It wasn't my stuff, after all. I made a mental note to keep my claws sheathed when handling the paper. I slid my tail across the floor, reading a bit of the history scroll as I heard breakfast being prepared. I hoped it was the platinum blonde, he seemed like he knew what to do in the kitchen. The sturdy black haired one, not so much. Whatever he had made last night wasn't brought to me for dinner, and I thanked the one in red for bringing me something edible, even if it was only a turkey sandwich with chips.

I really tried to commit their names to memory, but so far I'd only succeed in remembering the blue ones name, Jay, for obvious reasons, and the Red ones, Kai. I still hadn't heard the name of my rescuer spoken in conversation, but I'd heard the blue ones name come out of his mouth when he made small talk with me.

He spoke a lot of Jay, especially during dinner last night. He stayed with me as I ate, talking about how blue had unlocked something called a "True Potential", and wished he could do the same, if only to not be such a burden.

I felt for him, peeking out from under the bed to give him a little nudge before darting back underneath, hoping that it had show I sympathized enough.

He seemed to get it, which made me happy. He was helping me learn about my new surroundings, and I was starting to trust him and his comrades, even though I had known them for such little time. From what he told me, they were trying to recover something called a "Fang Blade" (There was more than one) And a boy a few years younger than me who had been kidnapped by snake people.

Sounds crazy, but I'd seen the white one freezing food with his bare hands, and I personally had too many run-ins with magic to disregard the stories.

I sighed as I rolled up the scroll, coughing a bit from thirst. I hoped breakfast came soon, even if it was just cereal and milk. My throat throbbed painfully in the constriction. I resisted the urge to mess with my bandages. I healed quickly, but I didn't need to accidentally reopen the barely closed wound on my neck.

It had come far too close to my vitals for comfort.

I was scanning through the scrolls table of contents printed on the side hoping to find information about these snake people, when my door opened.

"Good morning, sunshine. You awake under there?" Red asked, walking over to my side of the bed. I flicked my tail out in the open in response, gathering up the history scrolls I borrowed. "We have a mission today thats gonna be a little long, so I'm gonna trust you to eat something other than breakfast today"

"Piss off" I hissed as I snatched breakfast, unwilling to prolong this discussion. Red chuckled, and with a snort, I flicked out my soul dagger, and threw it in-between his feet as a warning. He flinched, before sitting down and pulling the dagger out of the floorboards, examining it with interest.

"You're gonna have to teach me how to do that someday" Red said, touching the tip of the blade. It was a very low damage dagger, but he still flinched when his soul took the hit when he pricked himself.

"I do not know if you're capable. I will keep it corporeal through breakfast, if you promise not to stab yourself again with it" I bargained, and was pleased by his compliance. Breakfast was some strange fruit, yogurt, and sausage, which I ate eagerly as we chatted about magic attacks, snakes, and elemental powers. The conversation started to stray toward something else after I'd finished breakfast and started redressing my wounds.

"So Jay, huh?" I asked, as Kai stopped fiddling with the knife. He sighed dejectedly, as I let the knife fade back into nonexistence. "I must admit, I kind of wouldn't assume he was your type. And the thing with your sister…"

"She's a lesbian, actually. She does like him, but not like that. She was hoping to break it to him easy the other day, as she loves his help with her mech, but I don't think she did" He replied, slipping back against the bedframe. "Besides, I think he finds me annoying, and probably thinks I'm just some hotheaded, cocky asshole too"

"Ouch. To be fair, you're talking to an eleven year old who's been camping out under your guest room bed like the fucking boogyman about this, and don't think I'm the best when it comes to advice" I reminded him as I dealt with the slashes on my shoulder. Kai sighed agin, but I swore I could detect a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Well, you're a good listener, and something tells me you can keep a secret" He replied, as I tied off my bandage on my forearm. I grinned as I moved to my leg, amused.

"Is it because I spend most days guarding my spot under this bed, Protect my space a dragon to its horde and claw at anyone who looks under here, or because I don't talk to anyone besides you?" I asked, earning myself a genuine laugh from the ninja in red.

"I think it's because you haven't told me your name, and don't talk to me about what you hear the others doing despite my prying" He chuckled, leaning back farther against the frame. "That, and I don't feel so powerless when I talk to you"

"You shouldn't be ashamed that you can't use your weapon like the others" I offered, but he just sighed again. "Don't your elements come from your weapons?"

"I think they're just a conductor. Maybe, I don't know, but when I separate myself from my sword for a while, I feel like there's a wild heat crackling under my skin, threatening to burst out" He explained, looking at his hand. "I noticed it the first time I used spinjitzu, actually. It was like an energy that had always been there suddenly pulsed and grew stronger, causing me to notice it for the first time"

"Is the feeling painful?" I asked, curious, as I continued addressing my other wounds, not risking an infection. "Or is it a more natural feeling?"

"Both, kind of. The energy has been building up a lot since then, and the only way I can alleviate the discomfort is by using the sword to set a fire" He muttered, sighing. "I think it's the fire, either I'm addicted to the power of the sword, or I'm going to burst into flames because I can't keep it inside me, or let it out myself"

"Its probably fire inside you. The sword sounds like a conductor, but if what you told me about Jay and the white one is true, your true potential will shatter the barriers preventing you from freeing the fire yourself" I theorized, as I finished up with the bandages. "I could be wrong though. Be careful out there, either way" I advised, sliding the bandages back out

"I don't know how I could die at a talent show, but I'll keep that in mind" He joked, taking the bandages and standing p, stretching, "Any advice for Jay before I go, Boogyman?"

"Be yourself, and flirt like no tomorrow" I replied, grinning.

…..

The rest of the day passed in a rather calm manner, as I read through the historical documents I swiped from that tea room, trying to learn all I could from them about this world I was quickly starting to call home. I'd swiped food when the Lady Samurai was away from the kitchen during lunch and dinner, and spent the early twilight listening to the television downstairs before I stealthily returned to the tea room.

I gently poked around the room to look for the slots I'd taken from this morning, not wanting to mess up whoever owned this rooms system of organization. After I returned the final scroll however, I discovered a strange cabinet hidden in the shadows. Curious as to what would warrant such secrecy without a "DO NOT OPEN" sign, I stuck my pointer claw into the lock and disengaged the mechanism, figuring its contents just held a minor secret or a love letter.

What I did not expect from such an ornate cupboard was a brand new green gi, stylized similarly to the other ninjas outfits, tiger claw armor and all. Interested as to why a piece of clothing warranted such a pretty cabinet, I pulled out the top, looking it over with interest. It looked to be deigned to fit anyone from a teen to young adult without sagging, yet there was no specific size labeled, as if it was purposefully made without any one individual in mind.

'Strange' I thought to myself, before folding it back up and returning it. Perhaps it meant more in context, but I lacked any knowledge in relation, so I simply re-engaged the lock and started scanning through the scrolls agin, looking for anything that peaked my interest.

I settled with a scroll titled "Soul Magic and Elemental Power: A Scientific Evaluation", and slipped back out, hoping to gain a little more insight on my current wards.

And perhaps, a little insight on how to teach Kai to use energy weapons. A small way to say thanks for being kind enough to speak to me.

I snagged a few pillows off the bed before slipping back underneath, curling up in a makeshift nest and summoning a small orb of purple light so I could read in the dark.

Strangely, the scroll started with something called 'The War Between Humans and Monsters'. Intrigued, I curled up and allowed myself to sink into the words in the scroll, drowning out the world around me.


	3. Chapter 2

The next morning, I was awoken by the smell of slightly-burnt eggs, and a warm hand gently shaking my shoulder. Growling, I turned over, shoving the hand off as I faced breakfast, finding its smell to be adequate and safe. I marked my place in the scroll I'd been reading, and curled it up as the person who'd shaken me awake withdrew their hand, clearly understanding what would happen if he kept it there.

"I'm guessing Cole didn't cook this morning?" I asked the familiar scent of warm ginger and burning applewood, accompanied by the musk that came with teenage hormones. I took a bite before I continued"Jay in charge of the kitchen today? Zane doesn't burn eggs"

"No, it was me. It's before sunrise. Everyone's on the deck doing "Special Training"" Kai replied, relaxing against the bed frame. Everything was quiet as I contemplated his words. Kai never had woken me up before, I had always been up for hours before him and just pretended to have been sleeping when he delivered breakfast in the morning. Concerned, I set the plate aside, not feeling very hungry anymore.

"…Cole unlocked his true potential, didn't he?" I asked, flinching a bit at the shame that emanated off my caretaker. He was taking this badly. "Kai, you can't seriously think this makes you a burden to the team. Just because you haven't found your fire yet doesn't mean you're useless, or that you will never figure it out"

"What else am I supposed to think? Everyone else has reached their true potential except me. I have so many obstacles in my heart that I fear I'll never be able to release my fire on my own" He muttered, and I saw him curl up a bit against the bed. "I'm probably going to be handicapped with that sword until death if I can't release the fire in me without it"

"… You actually can overheat, now that I think about it, but that's not going to happen. You'll figure the whole "True Potential" thing out eventually" I assured, sliding the plate out from under the bed. Kai ignored it, sighing as he pressed back against the bed.

"My biggest fear is that you're wrong" He admitted, pulling his knees to his chest. "That stupid scroll is messing with my head"

"Scroll? What scroll?" I asked, pulling the one I swiped closer to myself. Kai sighed again, shaking his head.

"The one about the Green Ninja. I assumed you've already seen it with all the snooping you do in Sensei's room"

"Never saw something like that, but I did find a green gi in a lockbox" I replied, relaxing my protective stance over the scroll I'd borrowed, "Didn't look to be for any one of you specifically"

"Thats the point. We don't even know who he is. Just that "One ninja will rise above the rest and he shall defeat the dark lord", who I assume is Lord Garmadon" He clarified, a sigh escaping his lips. "That stupid thing was eating me alive before you came along. I thought that if I wasn't the green ninja, the team would probably ditch me first chance they got. God knows I was insufferable when we met"

"From what you've told me, insufferable is an understatement" I joked, trying to lighten the mood. I was unsuccessful of course, but I'd tried. "Kai, your sister had been kidnapped, even I can tell that your reactions were pretty justified"

"Yeah, and then I lost Lloyd over that stupid scroll. I was so focused on the teams competition that I wasn't doing my part for the brat" He admitted, sounding rightfully ashamed. "I was beating myself up about how stupid I had been, and right after Zane unlocked his true potential, I just wanted to get out and clear my head, try to get my thoughts straight, and get that stupid prophecy out of my head so I could focus on what I should have been doing from the start-"

"If you really were a terrible ninja, you wouldn't have saved my life" I cut him off, slipping out from under the bed to face him for the first time since I woke up. He flinched as I sat up in the darkness and settled down at his side, leaning against him. "I owe you an immeasurable gratitude, one you may never know. You need to understand, that even if you aren't the strongest, or the most agreeable, you have he biggest heart, and the love you have for everyone around you, wether it be brotherly or romantic, makes you the most powerful one here"

Kai was quiet after that, as I relaxed against his side, purring in happiness at the comforting heat he exerted. I really should have said that sooner, Kai was an amazing heater.

After a few minutes, my purring was interrupted by a pair of warm, strong arms wrapping around me, and with a small tug, I was pulled into Kai's lap for a warm, loving embrace I hadn't experienced in years. I tensed for a moment, unused to the physical affection, before relaxing against my rescuers chest, allowing my purring to continue. Hugs were a lot better than I remembered them.

"Thank you" he whispered, as I relaxed against him.

We stayed like that for a little while, just relaxing in the darkness, forgetting about all our troubles for the moment. It was nice, and I made it a point to teach Kai soul magic as soon as possible. He deserved it for putting up with my aggressive bullshit for so long.

Unfortunately, the moment couldn't last forever, and it was rudely interrupted by a powerful, dark presence that had appeared at the door. Flinching when I heard the knob turn, I jumped to my feet and flung an energy knife at the person coming inside, narrowly missing my target.

"Kai!" An elderly voice snapped, as I took a step back, eyes trained on the figure behind the old man I'd narrowly avoided killing at the door. I snarled, summoning another knife as Kai jumped to his feet behind me. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm so sorry sensei!" He said, grabbing my shoulders in warning. "Ren here has never seen you before, and he's pretty violent towards strangers"

"That knife was for the guy behind you" I hissed at the elder (Who was apparently Kai's sensei?) as I summoned a longer ranged attack. "Step aside, he needs to die"

"I highly doubt you could kill me" The man behind Kai's sensei chuckled, causing Kai to tense up behind me, as the elder narrowed his eyes. "Even with your apparent mastery of the ancient arts"

"Wanna bet, you ghastly fucker?" I hissed summoning more knives. "Give me a reason not to kill you right now. Just. One"

"Sensei, I mean no disrespect, but what in holy hell were you thinking bringing your crazy ass brother here?" Kai asked from behind me, keeping a firm grip on my shoulders. Something told me he would let go if he got a bad answer. "I know Lloyds in the hands of the snakes, but do really think bringing your brother on the Bounty to help was the best idea?"

"Do not question my judgement. My brother may have lost his light, but he still loves his son, and would do anything for him" the elder explained, as the dark fucker behind him grinned. Oh, if I could just have two seconds alone with him-

"Lloyd is my only priority here. If that means I have to assist my sworn enemies to assure his safety, I will do it without hesitation" the dark man hissed, that smile still on his face. "Put your little toys away, pup, unless you wish to die"

"I guarantee you, it won't be my blood that has to be cleaned up" I snarled, pointing my knife at him. He smirked a bit at my threat. I snarled and drew my arm back to throw the knife, Kai grabbed my wrist, leaning down to whisper in my ear.

"Save it until he's done something that warrants it" he advised, quite rightly. I hissed, but complied, dismissing my knives.

"Now then, I suppose breakfast is in order? I hear the white one is quite the cook" the dark figure chuckled.

This was going to be a looong day.

…..

I hissed as the blistering heat of the volcano started getting to me, questioning my decision to follow the ninja and Garmadon on this suicide mission. Nobody knew I was here (besides Nya, she always knows who gets on and off her ship. ALWAYS), and I planned to keep it that way.

Unless a situation arose where I was needed. Something had just told me to follow the group, and I didn't question my instinct. Ever. Bad things tended to happen when I ignored it.

I hissed as another wave of heat hit the exposed, half healed injuries on my skin, causing them to burn. I cursed my decision to leave my half-cloak behind, missing its thick turtleneck protecting my throat. But I couldn't complain, it was my own fault for leaving it behind.

I paced around the edges of the rim at the top of the temple, unable to convince myself to go down further int the fire, as I watched the battle below. Every time Kai looked like he was at a disadvantage, or about to be attacked from behind, I sent a knife into the opposing snakes back, not killing it, bit wounding it enough to be unable to fight back. He seemed to know I was around helping somewhere nearby, but the snakes kept him from looking for me.

A screech from the side snapped my attention away from the master of fire, and I flinched when I saw a platinum blond kid, two or three years younger than me, hanging on for dear life on the bars of a bottomless cage suspended dangerously close to the lava. Abandoning any sense of self preservation, I darted down the slope, moving just fast enough to catch the boy by his jacket before he fell in the fire.

"Don't squirm too much!" I ordered, as I pulled him back onto the ledge, panting. I flinched as he suddenly tackled me in a hug, burying his face in my shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I thought I was going to die!" He cried, hugging me a little too tight around my stomach injuries. I tried to keep a straight face as I stood up, holding the boy on his feet as I tried to drag him back up the ridge.

"Okay, kid, you need to let me go and walk if you want to get out of here alive" I instructed, putting an arm around his torso. He quickly detached himself from me, but I didn't let him get more than a foot away as I kept walking, urging him to do the same. "Come on, the Bounty is parked at the entrance, we're not far"

"Who are you exactly? I've never seen you before" Lloyd asked, curious, as we kept walking at a much slower pace than I had come down, my sides burning in what I hoped was heat exposure and not reopening.

"We can get acquainted when we're out of this volcanic snake pit" I assured him, hissing as the heat suddenly got worse against the raw skin of my wounds. Lloyd flinched and gave me a look of concern, but I waved him off and urged him to keep moving until we reached the top.

"Lloyd!" Garmadon cried in relief, as we finally reached to top of the ridge. I flinched as Lloyd darted towards his father, who gave him a large, four armed hug, as the ninja and Wu were more focused on something still in the lava.

"Wheres Kai?!" I snapped, noticing the distinct lack of red, before jumping to the edge of the ridge.

Kai was still in the lava!

"Kai, leave the freaking blade! It's not worth your life!" Jay screeched from behind me, as Lloyd darted to my side, crying out in horror for the teen who saved me.

"Kai!" Lloyd cried from my side, as I became aware of the cracking beneath our feet. Before I could even register what I was thinking, I turned and shoved Lloyd back into the arms of his father, as the ground suddenly broke away from underneath me.

I screeched as I scrambled to try and dig my claws into the rocks, but my attempts were in vain, as they sliced uselessly through the rock, and I plummeted into the fire. I gasped as I slammed into rock, lava bubbling around me. I scrambled back up, coughing in pain as heat seared across the raw skin over my throat and arms, before flopping back down on the rock, the pain and heat snatching away any energy I'd had.

'Fuck' I thought, claws digging into the rock below me. The heat was too much for me to handle, and blackness danced in spots around my vision.

I winced as someone picked me up, helping me to my feet, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I coughed again, and curled into the more tolerable warmth, the world flickering in and out.

And then, loud and clear, I heard Kai's voice.

"I did not see you from hypothermia only for you to die in a fucking volcano!" The cry was desperate, enough to snap me back into reality, even if it was just for a moment. I stood unsteadily, and grabbed onto his shoulders, staring into his eyes. I could see the fire in them, even if they were clouded with tears of despair.

"Then do something about it" I replied, smiling weakly. Kai's eyes widened, a fire dancing far stronger than I'd ever seen before, before everything faded to black.

...

**I would use myself as a virgin sacrifice if it meant more Brotherly soft Kai in the show, I swear.**

**Also, I'm hoping to get to a little light Plasmashipping in the next chapter or so, for those waiting for it. Theres not nearly enough of it in this fandom. **

_**~Nightmarestar of ThunderClan**_


	4. Chapter 3

I wasn't surprised when I regained conciousness. Maybe someone else could have been, in my situation, but I believed in Kai, and he came through. I took a deep breath, relishing in the cool air that filled my lungs. It was a blessed feeling compared to the harshness of the volcanic smoke.

Next time somebody mentioned a volcano, I was sitting the fuck out.

I took another deep breath before cracking open my eyes, the now familiar wooden ceiling giving me a sense of safety, despite the presence of a madman still on the boat. For some inexplicable reason, the presence barely affected me anymore. Like a shadow, it had simply sunk into the background of my range, off to the side, but still there.

Grateful for the lack of soreness in my front, I forced myself out of bed, my lingering distrust of our current "Guest" outweighing my desire to simply go back to sleep. I stumbled a bit at first, but regained my footing within seconds, my survival instinct taking over to speed my recovery.

I yawned as I made my way through the halls, being sure to avoid the Dark Lord, and I found myself in the bridge, which was surprisingly empty. Usually there was somebody here, wether it be Nya steering the ship (You do NOT touch the steering wheel without her permission) or somebody messing with Jays espresso machine to try and stave off nightmares (Something I had seen quite often in the few weeks I'd been here) but now it was empty, the unmanned controls glowing softly in the pre-dawn light.

Curious, I started to explore the room more thoroughly, having never taken the time to check the place out alone, as I had avoided the possibility of contact or talking like the plague. I gently slid my hands over the controls, making sure to avoid even the slightest chance of pressing them, lest Nya suddenly pop up in a puff of smoke to stop me. There was a shit tone of buttons and options for the holo screen, along with a keyboard and several emergency settings, some of which I worried about, if just for the names.

There was even one labelled "For Devourer", accompanied by a skull and crossbones. I sometimes feared what went on inside Nya's head, as I was ninety percent sure that the button launched a nuke.

Shaking my head, I moved away from the slightly disturbing control panel, and over to the espresso machine, which held a single sticky note labelled "Vanilla Cream ran out, pick something else" in Jays scratchy handwriting, something I'd seen enough of studying blueprints

I sniffed at the machine, flinching back at the bitter tang of leftover coffee grounds. Judging by the tiny droplets in the center of the cup holster, somebody had used it recently, meaning I wasn't the only one awake before dawn.

Curious as to who it could be, I slid out the door and onto the deck, surprised to find the resident Bluejay sipping on a cup of vanilla cream espresso, from what I could tell.

"So was that note a lie or did you just take the last serving of vanilla cream for yourself?" I asked casually as I leaned back against the closed door behind me, causing the lightning master to flinch violently, spilling half his cup over the railing. I giggled as he let slip a mild curse, righting his cup as to not lose more of his precious liquid.

As he recovered, I slid up next to him, shuddering a bit at the static that suddenly assaulted me when I got close. He flinched again when he noticed our proximity, but didn't spill his drink, having learned from last time. I flicked my tail to clear the static cling, and relaxed against the railing, watching the light start to show behind the distant mountains.

"You look a lot better than you did last night" Jay commented quietly, carefully avoiding contact. I took note that he scratched at the hand where I had bitten him, an injury he'd sustained after sticking his hand in my space looking for his screwdriver.

At least he knew better now.

"I heal fast. It's a family thing" I replied softly, relaxing against the railing in a display of trust. The fresh air was godsend after the ash in the volcano. Jay seemed slightly apprehensive with continuing the conversation, given the curtness of my answer, but decided to press on.

"So… I guess you and Kai are pretty close" he muttered, a small attempt to keep a casual conversation. I smiled softly at the insecurity in his was clearly not a socialist with anyone he didn't know well.

"I guess. I owe him my life twice over now, so I supposes more of a debt" I replied, humoring the blue ninjas attempt to socialize with me. He flinched again, and I had to stifle a giggle. "You must have _some_ anxiety if you're this freaked out about talking to me. I only gave you a little nip"

"You broke through a glove and my skin. I'm scarring from your "little nip"" He pouted, scratching at his hand again. "Seriously, its like I was bitten by a fox, not a nine year old with trust issues"

"I'm eleven, and you're the one who stuck your hand into a dark tunnel without looking. You deserved what you got" I replied, grinning sharply. Jay shuddered a bit, and held his coffee closer. "Hey, just be glad you learned that lesson from me. Just imagine a wild animal with rabies instead, and you'll find that bite mark to be more of a friendly reminder not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong"

"… You're a weird kid, you know that?" Jay commented after a moment, sipping at his already half-emptied, slightly sticky mug. I gave him a small smirk, and flicked his side with my tail. Jay flinched lightly, but realized the gesture was friendly just as quickly, and recovered enough to give a half smile.

"I could have ended up much worse, bluejay. I could be pining for the brother of my previous crush" I teased, causing the blue ninja to spit up his coffee once again. I chuckled at the face Jay made as he attempted to defend himself in his sputtering. "Don't deny it. I see how you look at him in those late nights, when you think nobody is watching"

"How often did you watch us sleep!?" Jay spluttered, not even attempting to deny my accusation. I gave him an easy smile and a soft chuckle, stretching out my back as I enjoyed the morning air.

"Eh, not very much. I usually spent nights holed up in your Sensei's room reading history scrolls" I admitted, slipping my claws out to dig slightly into the wood railing, satisfied with the grip they had. "You know, if the rock on that outcropping had been more jagged, I probably wouldn't have fallen all that way"

"You are just all over the place this morning, huh?" Jay asked, slightly more relaxed as he took another sip at his coffee. I shrugged, slumping down with my arms crossed over the railing, enjoying the breeze. "That's fine with me"

"Mhm" I muttered, enjoying the soft breeze running through my hair. I felt Jay relax beside me, taking a closer position to me on the railing to enjoy the rest of his morning coffee, slipping into the occasional muttering rant about booster upgrades.

…..

By the time we returned to the inside of the ship, everyone was gathered in the bridge, including the tiny seven year-old Lloyd, and his father looming over him. A hush had gone over the room, as we had clearly walked in on some kind of important conversation. Jay drew into himself as a few stern glares were sent his way, as if he'd forgotten some prior engagement.

Actually, judging by the mood of the gathering, that was probably true.

"Hand over your Nunchucks" Wu said stiffly, holding out his hand. Jay flinched back, confused, but he complied, setting his empty mug aside to deliver the golden weapon strapped to his belt. My eye caught the golden weapons strewn on the floor, before Wu meticulously placed the Nunchucks next to the others, careful not to let them touch.

Lloyd shuddered at the sight of them, but when Wu silently gestured to him, he slunk forward, looking much smaller under the golden glow of the weapons. I felt my heart sink, wondering what on earth these people were doing, before a soft green light suddenly engulfed the room, emanating from the weapons. My ears pricked as a heavy silence took over the room, almost tragic.

Then, like a sharp smack to the head from a staff, a realization overtook me. Wu started talking to Garmadon, but I couldn't hear a word, the cold silence drowning everything else out as old words, ones I'd dismissed weeks ago coming back to haunt me like a persisting nightmare.

_One shall rise… Green Ninja… Defeat the Dark Lord_

I looked over at the tiny kid I'd rescued, who's expression drowned out with a dawning horror alongside every silent word that was spoken. Kai's face in the corner of my sight mirrored my growing disgust, but he wasn't the one who spoke this time.

"Have you both lost your fucking minds?" I snarled, breaking my own silence to turn on the feuding brothers. Both turned to look at me with astonishment, as if they hadn't expected someone as young as me to turn on them. "You cannot seriously be talking about turning a traumatized seven year-old into warrior right now"

"You have no say in this. This has been foretold long before you-" Wu started, but I cut him off with a scathing growl.

"I know, you old fuck. I read the goddamn scroll, I know exactly what you mean" I hissed, voice low as I raised my claws, leaving no room for argument until I was finished. "But if you're seriously considering throwing an unaffiliated, traumatized seven year-old into your family feud because of what some senile old crone pulled out of their ass, I will personally rip out your windpipe and leave it for the snakes"

"You have no control over this, child. It's Lloyds Des-"

Something inside me snapped.

Faster than even my own eyes could register if I could bear witness, I was in front of the old sensei with my fist thrust into his stomach, the sheer force of my strike knocking every bit of breath out of his body. He stared down at me with shock, a thin line of blood dribbling down the side of his mouth, as I met his gaze with my own fury.

Then, without a word, I whipped around, Wu slumping to the ground as I approached the weapons, tugging Lloyd away from them and pushing him into the observing Ninja's hold, the elementals too in shock to do anything other than go along with the situation. I then turned on the father, unsheathing my claws and feigning slicing open the cortarary artery.

"Get your fucking shit together, or thats your future, you got that?" I hissed, summoning knives in front of his face to prove my point, keeping one pointed directly at his throat. He stepped back slowly, conceding to my words. "Good. At least you have more sense than that senile fuck"

"How dare-"

"You know what, he's right, just shut up!" Nya snapped, having one to her senses first. I gave her an approving nod, as the Ninja looked at one another, surprised by the samurai's support. "Lloyd is SEVEN. He was just rescued from snake people, and the last thing he needs is THIS on his plate"

The ninja, and even the dark lord, were nodding in agreement, though wether it was from fear or the merit of my words, I didn't know. Wu seemed to realize I was winning the room, and he opened his mouth to speak again.

With a snarl at the old man, I turned back towards the weapons, picking up the nunchaku with the intention of throwing them in his face, before they suddenly lit up in my hand, blinding me and forcing me to drop them again.

"Son of a bitch!" I hissed, rubbing my eyes as I tried to clear my was a collective gasp around the room, and as my vision came back, I was made aware of why.

The glow of the golden weapons had increased tenfold, chasing away the darkness with their blinding light. Specks of green danced with the colors of the other ninja, with purple forming jagged "X" shapes in some spots. I stumbled back, summoning VOID, which released a powerful blast when I tripped and landed on my rear.

The blast triggered a reaction in the light, and within the glow, a dragons head took shape, a perfect purple "X" shaped mark spread across its face and snout, leaving the eyes and vital areas untouched.

The symbol flared up once, before the glow faded, and the weapons clattered to the floor, their glow barely acknowledgeable in wake of the vision. I dug my claws into the floor, questioning everything I had just done in the last five minutes. Old memories came to the surface as I stared down at my hands, drowning out whatever reactions the others were having.

**_Destroy him_**

_Why? What did he do wrong?_

**_Evolution Requires Sacrifice_**

_A spike shot out, covered in blood that wasn't there_

**_He's been eager to play with you_**

_Dust settling on a bloody, glowing blade_

**_NO MORE RESETS_**

_A body slumped forward in the grass, covered in claw marks_

**_You see what rebellion gets you?_**

****_Ghastly white faces, twisted beyond any humanity_

**_He'll just turn on you again_**

_Blood on my claws, on the grass, everywhere_

_Do I even know what's real anymore?_


End file.
